Cotton Pests: It’s Back. Temik Has a New Name, Same Game.

The good news is there are no hurricanes in the immediate forecast for the Cotton Belt as of April 2019. On the other hand, there are multiple pests looming on the horizon.

Nematodes, thrips, aphids, mites and assorted other pests are lurking.

As growers begin planting in earnest, the immediate concern is early season pest pressure that could derail crops. Unlike a hurricane, growers have more control over early season pest problems. Choosing the most effective early season pest management product is a key decision affecting the entire growing season.

AgLogic aldicarb is a relatively new brand name, but a familiar active ingredient in early season pest management. Marketed for more than 40 years under the brand name Temik, the product is now available as AgLogic aldicarb. After a few years hiatus from the market, AgLogic aldicarb is proving results reminiscent of years past.

The formulation is the same. Recent results with AgLogic aldicarb replicate decades of documented field trial data and grower confirmation.

ALABAMA

“There is no doubt, aldicarb gets the cotton off to a good start,” says Ron Smith, entomologist, Auburn Cooperative Extension.

“It gives the crop a healthier foundation from the roots up. After all these years, it’s still a tremendous tool for early season pest management,” he says. “When you consider the nematode suppression in addition to early season post-emergence insect control, it’s a consistent performer.”

ARKANSAS

In Arkansas, a similar story is unfolding. Gus Lorenz, extension entomologist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is very familiar with aldicarb. Like other researchers, he has evaluated aldicarb in multiple trials throughout his career.

“When we essentially lost aldicarb for a few years until 2016, it wasn’t a big deal because the seed treatments were working,” Lorenz says. “Now, there’s developing resistance of tobacco thrips to neonicotinoids, so we’re seeing more problems. In the past couple of years as the seed treatments have been losing efficacy, aldicarb has been a ‘hand’s down’ better product when it comes to thrips control.”

MISSOURI

In the Bootheel of Missouri, Calvin Meeks, Research Scientist, University of Missouri, says it’s an option when seed treatments are losing effectiveness and other options are disappearing from the market.

“It’s nice to have a good option rather than dwindling options,” he says. “Aldicarb has an important fit in our area.”

NORTH CAROLINA

Thrips protection for early emerging seedlings has always been a concern in cotton, peanut and soybean production.

“Aldicarb provides an effective method to control thrips when used at planting,” says Dominic Reisig, Extension Specialist with North Carolina State University.

“It remains one of our most effective insecticides for thrips and is a good rotational partner for neonicotinoid seed treatments, which are used universally on cotton seeds in our state and to which tobacco thrips are resistant.”

GEORGIA

“I told growers after we lost Temik that we would probably start seeing pest problems occur that we hadn’t seen for years,” he says. “Sure enough, it started happening. Everybody got so used to aldicarb, they didn’t realize how much protection they were getting from the product.”